1. Technical Field
This invention pertains generally to improvements in traction shoe cleats and, more particularly, to a shoe cleat having enhanced traction while minimizing damage to a turf surface as well as wear to the cleat when applied to hard surfaces.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The need for providing improved traction elements for the soles of shoes on turf surfaces is well known in the art, particularly in the field of sports such as football, baseball, soccer and golf. In many sports, particularly golf, the need for providing improved traction elements must be considered in combination with limiting the wear and tear on the playing turf that can be caused by the traction elements.
Attempts have been made to provide an effective traction element for a shoe that also minimizes any damage to the turf during use. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,129 and 5,367,793 to Deacon et al., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, describe golf cleats that are made from plastic rather than conventional metal golf spikes and provide frictional gripping forces on the turf surface without puncturing the turf. However, while the golf cleats described in these patents are effective in protecting the turf, they suffer from a disadvantage in that the cleats tend to wear away quickly when applied to hard surfaces such as concrete sidewalks and roadways.
In U.S. Pat No. 6,167,641 to McMullin (the McMullin ""641 patent), a shoe cleat is described that provides traction on turf surfaces and is resistant to wear when applied to hard surfaces. The cleat of the McMullin ""641 patent includes a hub with at least one cantilevered arm including a traction element extending from the hub and capable of deflecting toward the hub when force is applied to the traction element. The traction element engages grass blades and provides traction while minimizing harm to the turf. In particular, enhanced traction is provided due to grass blades becoming trapped between the cantilevered arm and the sole of the shoe when the traction element bends toward the sole, resulting in a temporary mechanical locking of he shoe to the grass. The deflection feature of the cleat of the McMullin ""641 patent further minimizes wear of the cleat when engaging a hard surface such as concrete.
While the cleat described in the McMullin ""641 patent is effective in providing enhanced traction, minimal damage to the turf, and minimized wear of the cleat on hard surfaces, it is noted that the traction developed by the trapping of blades of grass between the cantilevered arm of the cleat and the sole of the shoe is limited to a substantially planar engagement. In other words, when the cleat is deflected, the surfaces of the arm and the sole that engage and trap blades of grass are generally parallel to each other such that the engaged portion of each blade of grass generally occupies a single plane. In such a trapped environment, the possibility exists for blades of grass to frictionally slide between the engaging surfaces of the cleat and shoe sole if the shoe begins to slide along the turf while the cleat is in the deflected position.
It is therefore desirable to provide a shoe cleat with enhanced traction that is capable of trapping and firmly engaging blades of grass while preventing any frictional sliding of the trapped blades with respect to the shoe.
Therefore, in light of the above, and for other reasons that become apparent when the invention is fully described, an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe cleat with enhanced traction while minimizing damage to turf surfaces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe cleat that does not easily wear on hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe cleat that is capable of deflecting to temporarily engage and trap blades of grass upon contact with the turf while preventing the trapped blades of grass from sliding during such temporary engagement.
The aforesaid objects are achieved individually and in combination, and it is not intended that the present invention be construed as requiring two or more of the objects to be combined unless expressly required by the claims attached hereto.
In accordance with the present invention, an improved traction cleat is provided including a hub and at least one traction element extending from the hub and away from the sole of a shoe when the cleat is secured to the shoe sole. The traction element is configured to deflect toward the shoe sole to trap and frictionally engage blades of grass in a non-planar engaging area disposed between the traction element and the shoe. The non-planar engagement and trapping of the blades of grass by the shoe cleat firmly secures the shoe to the grass blades and prevents sliding of the shoe on the turf.
Further, in order to minimize damage to golf greens, the invention provides for configuring the foot, or turf contacting portion, of each traction element smoothly convex to facilitate sliding of the foot along a golf green as the traction elements flex outwardly under the weight of the wearer of the shoe.
The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following definitions, descriptions and descriptive figures of specific embodiments thereof wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components. While these descriptions go into specific details of the invention, it should be understood that variations may and do exist and would be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the descriptions herein.